Canadians who made beef purchases after 2015 could potentially receive a portion of nearly $8 million in a proposed settlement with companies accused of price-fixing. According to a statement from various Canadian law firms, JBS USA Company, Swift Beef Company, JBS Packerland Inc., and JBS Canada ULC have agreed to pay $7.49 million, while National Beef has agreed to pay $495,000.
The settlement, which is subject to court approval and does not imply wrongdoing by the companies, is scheduled for a settlement hearing on September 10 for members from all provinces except Quebec. The Quebec settlement hearing is set for December 1 of this year.
A class-action lawsuit filed in 2022 alleged that beef-selling companies were part of an illegal conspiracy related to the supply or pricing of beef in Canada. Legal teams, including CFM Lawyers LLP in B.C., Strosberg Wingfield Sasso LLP in Ontario, and Belleau Lapointe LLP in Quebec, initiated the settlement.
It is important to note that the settlement does not cover beef products purchased by the food service industry, such as restaurants. The legal actions are ongoing against certain defendants from Cargill and Tyson companies.
Eligible Canadians who wish to opt out, potentially to pursue their own legal actions, must do so by August 10. This settlement follows a previous case where Canadians started receiving payments in May regarding a bread price-fixing class action that involved multiple companies. In that case, Loblaws and George Weston Ltd. agreed in 2024 to pay $500 million to settle the class action, with eligibility for those who bought bread between 2001 and 2021.
